Collapsible sign standard



Nov. 7, 1961 w. L. JUMP COLLAPSIBLE SIGN STANDARD Filed Sept. 25, 1959 /A/I/EA/TOE W/LL/AM L. JUMP GQ QFEM 3,997,269 Patented Nov. 7, 1961 3,007,269 C'OLLAPSIBLE SIGN STANDARD William L. Jump, 522 El Sol Ave., Ojai, Calif. Filed Sept. 25, 1959, Ser. No. 842,372 .3 Claims. (Cl. 40-425) This invention relates to a collapsible sign standard which is particularly adapted for use in holding warning and guide signs used on highways by road construction and maintenance men, utility repair crews and others.

It is an object of my invention to provide a sign standard of the type described which is compact and which collapses to a completely fiat condition so that a large number of standards can be stacked one on top of or beside the other within a minimum amount of space in a work truck or building.

It is a further object of my invention to provide such a standard which, when in sign holding position, is stable and in which the sign is firmly held in vertical position.

It is a more particular object of my invention to provide a collapsible sign standard having a pair of frames formed of angle iron or the like in which one frame nests within the other and in which a sign holding member pivots between a sign holding position in which it extends vertically above the frames and a collapsed position in which it is disposed within the area defined by the frames.

It is another object of my invention to provide a standard having a sign holding member which is novel in its construction and operation and which provides benefits and advantages not found in previous devices utilized for the same purpose.

A further object of my invention is to provide a structure which is simple and economical to manufacture, requiring a minimum amount of parts and material and which is of durable construction so as to have a long useful life.

My invention also comprises such other objects, advantages and capabilities as will later more fully appear and which are inherently possessed by my invention.

While I have shown in the accompanying drawings a preferred embodiment of my invention, it should be understood that the same is susceptible of modification and change without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Referring to the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of my sign standard in use, with the sign indicated in phantom lines;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of my standard in collapsed condition;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken on line 6-6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken on line 7-7 of FIG. 5,.

A preferred embodiment which has been selected to illustrate my invention comprises a U-shaped outer frame 10, which may be formed of angle iron and a U-shaped inner frame 11, which may be formed of a slightly smaller width of angle iron. The outer frame 10 includes a top angle 12, which is normally disposed upwardly when the standard is in use and a side angle 13, which is disposed toward the side when the standard is in use. The inner frame 11 includes a corresponding top angle 14- and side angle 15.

When my standard is in collapsed position, the side angle of the inner frame 11 fits within and extends parallel to the side angle 13 of the outer frame 10, as shown in FIG. 7 of the drawings. The top angle 14 is disposed within the free end of the side angle 13, so that the frames 10 and 11 combine to form three sides of an open square or rectangle.

An elongated rod 16 extends across the open ends of the U-shaped frames 10 and 11. The rod 16 has a square cross section. The ends of the rod 16 are rounded and extend freely through openings in the upper ends of the side angle 15 of the inner frame 11. The ends of the rod 16 continue through the side angle 13 of the outer frame 10 and are welded thereto on the outside of the side angle 13. The portion of each end of the rod 16 which is disposed toward the top angle 14 of the inner frame 11 is rounded off at two corners and the side angle 15 is rounded off at the end in order to permit the inner frame 11 to be rotated between the collapsed position shown in FIG. 6 of the drawings and the working position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

The free ends of the top angle 12 of the outer frame 10 are both bent slightly downwardly so as to engage the free ends of the top angle 14 of the inner frame 11 when the standard is in working position. The engagement of the bent portions 18 with the top angle 14 acts to limit the rotation of the inner frame 11 with respect to the outer frame it) and rod 16.

A sign holder 20 is swivelly mounted on the rod 16. The sign holder 20 comprises a pair of identically formed end members 21, each of which may be formed of angle iron. The end members 21 comprise side angles 22 and front angles 23, respectively. The front angles 23 are joined at their lower portions by a transverse member 24, which is welded at its opposite ends to the front angles 23.

The side angles 22 are provided with elongated slots 25 which extend downwardly from their upper ends and which are adapted to removably receive and hold the lower corner edges of a fiat metal sign 26. A permanent sign, preferably corresponding in area to the frames 10 and 11, may be attached by fastening members extending through openings 27 and 28. When the standard is collapsed, the sign overlies the frames and does not sub-' stantially increase the over-all thickness.

The lower ends of the side angle 22. are provided with identically formed keyhole type slots 29. The slots 29 have circular portions 30 at their lower ends which are larger in diameter than the diagonal dimensions of the rod 16, so that when the rod 16 is disposed within the circular portions 30, the sign holder 20 can be freely rotated 0r swiveled with respect to the sign 16.

The slots 29 have at their upper ends straight portions 31 which are substantially square in cross section, the

width of which only slightly exceeds the cross section of the rod 16. One side 32 of the straight portions 31 is tapered slightly toward the other side so that when the rod 16 is moved into the straight portions 31, it tends to become wedged and locked in place in order to prevent any looseness or rattling of the sign-holder 20 with.

respect to the rod 16.

The standard is ordinarily stored or carried in its collapsed condition, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 of the drawings. The inner frame 11 fits within the outer frame 10 and the sign holder 20 swings freely downwardly from the rod 16 within the area defined by the frames 10 and 11. The rod 16 provides a convertible handle for lifting or carrying the standard.

When the standard is to be used, the inner frame 11 is swung out from the outer frame 10 until the frames are disposed at a right angle to each other. The inner frame 11 rotates on the rod 16 in moving to this position.

The sign holder 20 is then swung in either direction spa /32cc from a vertically downward position to a vertically upward position. When the standard is in collapsed position, the rod 16 is disposed within the circular portions 30 of the slots 29 to permit free rotation of the sign 'holder 20 with respect to the rod 16. When the sign holder 20 is moved to vertically upward position, the straight portions 31 of the slots 29 are disposed directly above the rod 16 and the sign holder 20 will move downwardly by the force of gravity until the rod 16 is disposed within the straight portions 31 of the slots 29. The sign 26 is then mounted in position within the slots 25.

The sign holder 20 cannot be moved from this position unless it is first moved upwardly against the force of gravity until the rod 16 is disposed within the circular portions 30 of the slots 29. The sign holder 20 can then be rotated back to its vertically downward storage position, in which it will normally rern ain.

I claim:

1. A sign standard comprising a substantially U-shaped outer frame formed of angle iron, a substantially U- ,shapcd inner frame formed of a smaller dimension of angle iron, so that said inner frame is dimensioned to fit within said outer frame, a rod extending across the open ends of both of said frames, said rod being secured at its ends tothe opposite sides of one of said frames, said inner frame being movable between a collapsed position in which said inner frame is disposed within said outer frame and a working position in which said inner frame is disposed at substantially a right angle to said outer frame in an inverted V, with said rod extending substantially horizontally across the upper end of said inverted V, said rod having a substantially square cross section, two sides of said rod extending in a horizontal plane and the other two sides extending in a vertical plane when said frames are disposed in an inverted V, a sign holder having a pair of end members, said end members being joined to each other, said end members having means for removably receiving and holding a sign, each of said end members having a keyhole slot therein, each of said keyhole slots having a substantially circular portion of a diameter larger than the diagonal diameter of said rod, each of said keyhole slots having a substantially straight portion connecting with said circular portion, said straight portion having a width substantially equal to the width of said rod, said sign holder being movable between a collapsed position in which said rod is disposed within the circular portion of said slots and said sign holder is disposed Within the area defined by said frames and a working position in which said rod fits within the straight portions of said slots to hold said sign holder in a vertically upwardly extending position with respect to said rod, said sign holder being held against rotation with respect to said rod, said inner frame and sign holder being manually movable between said collapsed and working positions.

2. A sign standard comprising a substantially U-shaped outer frame, a substantially U-shap-ed inner frame dimensioned to fit within said outer frame, a rod extending across the open ends of both of said frames, said rod having a substantially rectangular cross section, said rod being secured at its ends to the opposite sides of one of said frames, said inner frame being movable between a collapsed position in which said inner frame is disposed within said outer frame and a working position in which said frames are disposed in an inverted V, with said rod extending substantially horizontally across the upper end of said inverted V, with two sides of said rod extending in a horizontal plane and the other two sides extending in a vertical plane, a sign holder having pair of end members, said end members being joined to each other, said end members having means at one end thereof for holding a sign, each of said end members having a keyhole slot adjacent the other end thereof, each of said keyhole slots having a substantially circular portion of a diameter larger than the diagonal diameter of said rod, each of said keyhole slots having a substantially straight portion connecting with said circular portion, said straight portion having a width substantially equal to the width of said rod, said sign holder being movable between a collapsed position in which said rod is disposed within the circular portion of said slots and said sign holder is disposed within the area defined by said frames and a working position in which said sign holder is disposed in a vertically upwardly extending position with respect to said rod, and said rod fits within the straight portions of said slots to hold said sign holder against rotation with respect to said rod.

3. A sign standard comprising a pair of substantially U-shaped frames, a rod extending across the open ends of both of said frames, said frames being movable between a collapsed position in which said frames are disposed adjacent to each other and a working position in which said frames are disposed in an inverted V, with said rod extending substantially horizontally across the upper end of said inverted V, said rod having a substantially rectangular cross section, two sides of said rod extending in a horizontal plane and the other two sides extending in a vertical plane when said frames are disposed in an inverted V, a sign holder having a pair of end members, said end members being joined to each other, said end members having means for holding a sign, each of said end members having a keyhole slot therein, each of said keyhole slots having a substantially circular portion of a diameter larger than the diagonal diameter of said rod, each of said keyhole slots having a substantially straight portion connecting with said circular portion, said straight portion having a width substantially equal to the Width of said rod, said sign holder being movable between a collapsed position in which said rod is disposed within the circular portion of said slots and said sign holder is disposed within the area defined by said frames and a working position in which said sign holder is disposed in a vertically upwardly extending position with respect to said rod, and said rod fits within the straight portions of said slots to hold said sign holder against rotation with respect to said rod.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,931,016 Bridges Oct. 17, 1933 1,955,509 Moeckel Apr. 17, 1934 2,783,566 Jump Mar. 5, 1957 2,836,385 Knapp et a1 May 27, 1958 2,844,897 Vance July 29, 1958 2,864,191 Hagen Dec. 16. 1958 

